Text from Mom reminds Travis Etienne, ‘it's just football’

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As Travis Etienne fielded question after question from the media Saturday night after Clemson’s 59-7 win over Boston College, the somewhat reserved running back had his signature smile on his face.

For the third consecutive game, Etienne racked up over 100 yards on the ground as he races towards the top of many of Clemson’s all-time rushing records.

After finding themselves out fo sync against North Carolina, the Tiger offense has been clicking since their 21-20 scare against the Tar Heels. That afternoon, Etienne was a bit off his game. The usually smooth running back never got going on the ground and struggled to recognize he blitz packages thrown at him from UNC, defensive coordinator Jay Bateman.

For the junior, being over criticized about his play has been rare during his time at Clemson, and when it has popped up in the past, the topic has never been about when the Jennings, Lousianna native has the ball in his hands, it has always been about pass protection. 

Following the win against UNC, those conversations were back.

After a rocky freshman year picking up blitzes, Etienne focused on improving and was a pleasant surprise a year ago. Worrying about pass-pro seemed to be in the rearview mirror, then the Tar Heels hit him square in the mouth.

For the first time in a long time, Etienne lost some of his signature smile.

Early this season, Dabo Swinney called Etienne “a complete football player in every sense of the word,” but his performance at North Carolina said otherwise. Like a true champion, Etienne took that game to heart.

Fortunately for the Tigers, the close call in Chapel Hill came just before a bye week, allowing Etienne to refresh himself before hitting the meat of the schedule.

Clemson Sports Talk

Travis Etienne’s 46 career touchdowns are second only to James Davis’ 47 all-time touchdowns.

Saturday night, against Boston College, Etienne rushed for 109 yards, including three touchdowns placing him just one touchdown shy of James Davis’ all-time rushing touchdown mark. It should come as no surprise that the ever-humble Etienne didn’t have a clue about it.

"Honestly, no. I'm just hearing it for the first time. That's pretty amazing just to be mentioned with those guys and have a chance to be a part of history like that,” Etienne said. “Talk about leaving a legacy. It's just really great. Humbling for me, it shows that my hard work doesn't go unnoticed."

Having praise heaped on his shoulders makes Etienne noticeably uncomfortable, and as quick as he hits an open hole on the field, he quickly deflects all praise to his teammates.

"I'm just trying to be the best, do the best I can do for the team. I try not to get too high or too low because each game is different,” Etienne noted. “You can't get the big head. You have to stay level-headed and thank your teammates because, without them, I wouldn't be able to get those touchdowns." 

Currently, Etienne has rushed for 3,314 yards, just 652 yards behind Raymond Priester’s all-time mark (3,966), and he’s done it in just over two-and-a-half seasons.

While Etienne might not know the stats and the records he’s approaching, his biggest fan, his mom, certainly does, and she keeps him updated about all the posts she sees about her son.

"She used to do it a lot in my sophomore and freshman year. There were always Facebook posts that she was posting. She's a proud mom."

So proud and loving that she sent him a text just before kickoff to remind her son to enjoy the opportunity he’s been given.

"Like today, she sent me a great text. I felt like it really motivated me today to just go out there and give my all."

That text? 

“I love you baby boy. Just go out there play great. Remember, it's just football and leave it all on the field.”

And that’s just what Etienne has done since his struggles at North Carolina. He’s focused on the little things, paying attention to detail, but his real goal is to enjoy it.

"It's a great reminder. I've been playing this game all my life. I just started playing for the fun of it. It takes me down to my fundamentals, just play for the fun of the game and not add pressure on myself."

Thanks to a pregame text from mom, Etienne's smile is back and wide as ever.